EcoWaste Coalition is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions
to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.

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30 March 2019

Local advocates for a zero waste and toxics-free society
are joining a growing chorus of voices seeking effective solutions to the
global plastic pollution crisis.

In a press statement coinciding with the observance of
the Earth Hour, the EcoWaste Coalition enjoined the government, industries and
citizens to switch off tonight in solidarity with the worldwide efforts to
protect the environment from single-use plastics – the focus of the Earth Hour
this year.

“To halt the chemical and plastic contamination of our
water bodies, particularly the oceans, the government has to adopt sweeping
policy changes that will address the problem at source, incentivize single-use
plastic reduction and disincentivize single-use plastic production, ” said
Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“The government has to get a ban on single-use plastics
in place this year as our country’s contribution to the global drive to protect
the oceans from further plasticization,” she said

“A National Ban on Plastic and Plastic Products Act will
be required to phase out single-use disposable plastics and usher in sustainable
resource use.A National Action Plan
will be needed to move our society away from our addiction to throw-away
plastics,” she pointed out.

“As for the industries, especially for manufacturers of
fast-moving consumer goods, we urge them to fast track the replacement of
single-use plastic packaging with alternative product delivery systems, like
refill and reuse, with a clear plan and timeline,” she said.

“As for our citizens, we urge them to minimize, if not
stop, the reckless use and disposal of single-use plastics, and to adopt
consumption choices and habits that will lessen the generation of plastic
garbage.We ask every waste generator to
manage their discards responsibly to prevent plastics and other wastes from
entering the marine environment,” she added.

The EcoWaste Coalition also took the opportunity to
stress the importance of effectively enforcing the country’s key environmental
laws such as RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), RA 9275 (Clean
Water Act) and RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes
Control Act) to prevent chemicals and plastics from spilling into the oceans.

These pollution prevention laws, the group stressed, were
enacted to protect the environment, including marine waters, from dumping and
other environmentally- damaging acts.

According to the UN report “Marine Plastic Debris and
Microplastics,” “80 percent of all pollution in the sea comes from land,
including some eight million tons of plastic waste each year, that have cost
the lives of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals. Moreover, it
causes $8 billion in damage annually to marine ecosystems.”

28 March 2019

As aspiring office-holders in local government units (LGUs) gear up for frenzied campaign activities beginning tomorrow, March 29, a waste and pollution watch group dared all candidates to show their respect for the environment in words and in deeds.

“Our nation is badly in need of local leaders who will bravely take up the cudgels for Mother Earth and all creations amid the unfolding climate, chemical and plastic crisis,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“We need dedicated public servants who will help in enforcing laws and regulations that have been or have to be enacted to protect the public health and environment,” she stressed.

“We need leaders who will champion pollution prevention policies and programs to halt the continued degradation of the environment due to wastes and pollutants coming from factories, farms, markets and even from our homes, schools and offices,” she added.

For the information of their constituents, the EcoWaste Coalition urged candidates to add in the protection and preservation of the environment into their campaign platforms.

As actions speak louder than words, the group reminded candidates to show their being pro-environment by mounting a clean and green campaign.

“Every campaign material used to woo voters – from paper to plastic – has to go somewhere after the election frenzy is over. Some of these materials may be reused, repurposed and recycled, and, regrettably, most may end up being buried or burned and wasted forever,” Lucero said.

To prevent and reduce trash during the election campaign, the EcoWaste Coalition encouraged candidates to observe the following pointers:

26 March 2019

A waste and pollution watch group warns against lead-painted
medals as school administrators, teachers, parents and students prepare for end
of school year graduation and moving up ceremonies next week.

The EcoWaste Coalition urged school authorities to ensure that only lead-safe
mementoes are procured and given to outstanding student achievers after finding
some cheap, unlabeled medals sold for as low as P25 in Quiapo and Sta. Cruz,
Manila tainted with lead paint.

Out of 15 medal samples, nine were found to contain lead in the range of 1,316 to 22,900 parts per million (ppm) as per X-Ray
Fluorescence (XRF) screening. For
example, the yellow paint on the six samples of medals bearing the words “Kagawaran
ng Edukasyon, Republika ng Pilipinas” were found to contain average lead
content of 14,374 ppm.

“Children’s products must be safe from lead, a hazardous substance that is
known to harm the brain, decrease intelligence, stunt development and growth,
and cause behavioral disorders,” he said.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No.
2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, prohibits
the use of lead in the production of school supplies, as well as prohibits decorative
paints with total lead content above the 90 ppm.

While medals were not explicitly mentioned in Department Order No. 4, series of
2017 issued by the Department of Education (DepEd) on the “Mandatory Use of Lead-Safe
Paints in Schools,” the said directive applies to “paint-coated goods or
products directly procured by the school as well as those sourced by other
means such as through individual, group, corporate or local government
donations,” the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out.

To emphasize the importance of toxics-free medals, trophies and the like, the group
suggested amending DepEd Department Order No. 36, series of 2016 on “Policy
Guidelines on Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program”
to include the safety from lead and other chemicals of concern of things to
give to student awardees.

In lieu of medals, schools may opt to award students who
have shown academic excellence, leadership and social responsibility with the
appropriate certificates of achievement or recognition.

If medals are preferred, the EcoWaste Coalition advised schools to go for
plain, unpainted medals unless the paint used is guaranteed compliant with the
government’s regulation.

“As added precaution, schools should caution student recipients against playing
with or biting painted medals to avoid potential exposure to lead through ingestion,”
Dizon said.

According to the World Health Organization, “young children are particularly
vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer profound and permanent
adverse health effects, particularly affecting the development of the brain and
nervous system.”

“The consequences of brain injury from exposure to lead in early life are loss
of intelligence, shortening of attention span and disruption of behavior.
Because the human brain has little capacity for repair, these effects are
untreatable and irreversible,” the WHO said.

“There is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe,” the WHO has
warned.

25 March 2019

A waste and pollution watch group appealed to all local and national candidates and parties campaigning in Quezon City to abide by an environmental ordinance, which if enforced, will help in cutting the volume of plastic waste during the campaign period.

In an event held today outside the COMELEC-Quezon City Field Office, the EcoWaste Coalition urged poll bets to adhere to Quezon City Ordinance No. SP-2202, Series of 2013 “prohibiting polyethylene plastic advertisement and propaganda materials within the territorial jurisdiction of Quezon City.”

The event coincided with the sixth anniversary of the ordinance’s approval on March 25, 2013.

“We have gathered here under the scorching heat to persuade those running for public office to opt for a plastic-free campaign in keeping with QC Ordinance 2202-2013,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Quezon City is already generating too much garbage at 3,610 tons per day.We cannot overemphasize the need for serious waste reduction efforts such as the citywide ban on polyethylene plastics used for electoral campaign,” she said.

“Single-use plastics like those used to woo voters add to the city’s huge waste production and should be totally avoided,” she added.“The plasticization of the election campaign is bad for the environment and for democracy, too.”

To dramatize the problem with the plasticization of the campaign, the participants put up a globe representing Mother Earth that is wrapped with assorted plastic election posters.

To promote compliance to QC Ordinance 2202-2013, the EcoWaste Coalition have reached out to major political parties vying for the city’s elective positions for them to affirm their adherence to the said measure.

As of this writing, the Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP) led by Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte and the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino Party (KDP) led by former Representative Chuck Mathay have provided the EcoWaste Coalition with signed “affirmation of commitment” to abide by QC Ordinance 2202-2013.

The EcoWaste Coalition also urged the implementing agencies as designated by the ordinance “to remove, dismantle, confiscate, and cause the disposal or recycling of advertisement or propaganda materials made of polyethylene plastic.”

Among the agencies tasked to implement the ordinance are the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department, Parks Development and Administration Department, Department of Public Order and Safety, and the Quezon City Police District.

Violators of the ordinance shall be meted the following fines: notice of violation for the first offense; a fine of P3,000 and three-day community service for second offense; and a fine of P5,000 fine and a three-day community service for third offense.

Any firm or corporation caught selling, transporting or in possession of propaganda materials for use or installation in Quezon City shall face a fine of P3,000 up to P5,000 and revocation of mayor’s permit to operate.

Adhering to the ordinance, the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out,will be in line with COMELEC Resolution 10488, which provides for the rules and regulations implementing Republic Act 9006, or the Fair Election Act, in connection with the May 13, 2019 elections.

“In local government units where local legislation governing the use of plastic and other similar materials exist, parties and candidates shall comply with the same,” the resolution from the poll body said.

“Parties and candidates are encouraged to use recyclable and environment-friendly materials and avoid those that contain hazardous chemicals and substances in the production of their campaign and election propaganda,” it further said.

23 March 2019

The toxics watch group EcoWaste Coalition has called attention to a recent decision by the US government to ban methylene chloride (MC) in paint stripping products for consumer use.

“The regulation banning retail sale in US of paint removers with MC for consumer use sends a clear signal to importers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the Philippines about the need to switch to MC-free products,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“The prohibition, which is currently limited to consumer use of MC-based paint strippers, should also cover commercial paint and coating removal to prevent workers’ exposure to this toxic chemical,” he added.

Last March 15, 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took action after finding the risks to consumers to be unreasonable resulting in acute fatalities due to exposure to MC.

“Acute (short-term) exposures to methylene chloride fumes can rapidly cause dizziness, loss of consciousness, and death due to nervous system depression. People have died after being incapacitated during paint and coating removal with methylene chloride,” the EPA said.

According to the advocacy group “Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families” based in US, “at least 64 people have died from acute exposure to MC since 1980.”

The EPA has stated that “a variety of effective, less harmful substitutes are readily available for paint removal.”

To raise local awareness about toxic MC in paint removers, the EcoWaste Coalition partnered with the Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers (PAPM) for a forum held last October 2018 with visiting scientist Dr. Greg Morose from the University of Massachusetts Lowell as speaker.

"Based on environmental, health and safety evaluation and performance testing, it is possible to design and test alternatives to methylene chloride based paint strippers that are safer, cost effective, and have equivalent performance," Dr. Morose said.

The EcoWaste Coalition has lauded the positive outcome of Dr. Morose ‘s interaction with the local paint industry.

As a result, at least one major company has begun testing and evaluating MC-free substitutes for their paint removing product, the group said.

Prior to the said forum, the EcoWaste Coalition in July 2018 wrote to the PAPM proposing a voluntary phase-out of MC in paint removers in light of regulatory and industry trends, particularly in the European Union and the USA.

“We are optimistic that in due time only MC-free paint strippers will be produced and sold for all uses. This will contribute to a safe working environment for Filipino workers,” Dizon said.

22 March 2019

A waste and pollution watch group urged candidates and
parties for the 2019 midterm elections to enlighten the electorate about their
positions on raging water issues and the steps they will take if elected to
ensure people’s access to clean water.

Following the Congressional and Senate hearings on the
water shortage that tormented consumers in certain parts of Metro Manila and
Rizal, the EcoWaste Coalition stressed the importance of having legislative
champions who will take up the cudgels for water resources preservation and
protection.

The group’s plea for water champions coincided with the
observance of World Water Day on March 22, which focuses on Sustainable
Development Goal 6, which is to “ensure availability and sustainable management
of water and sanitation for all.”

“The campaign period offers an opportunity for aspiring
politicians for national and local elective posts to inform the voting public
about their platforms for clean water,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator,
EcoWaste Coalition.

“Holistic policies and measures to deal with these
threats are urgently needed to turn the tide and guarantee access to adequate
and safe water of present and future generations,” she added.

As this year marks the 15th anniversary of Republic Act
9275, or the Clean Water Act, the EcoWaste Coalition appealed for greater
action to protect the country’s fragile water resources from further
degradation with focus on pollution prevention at source.

RA 9275, signed by former President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo on March 22, 2004, applies to water quality management in all water
bodies, particularly on abatement and control of pollution from land based
sources.

“We hope candidates and parties will support the
strengthening of RA 9275 through the integration of a framework of zero discharge
of hazardous chemicals from factories, farms and households,” Lucero said.

The EcoWaste Coalition expressed its hope that candidates
and parties will weigh in on some of the raging water-related issues,
including, but not limited to the following :

--- Production of single-use plastics, especially as
packaging for fast-moving consumer goods, that end up polluting the rivers and
the world’s oceans;

--- Use of plastic microbeads as ingredient in cosmetic
and cleansing products that contribute to microplastic pollution in water and
marine life;

---Discharge of
chemical pollutants and other wastes from industrial, agricultural, and
household sources into waterways and water bodies;

---Shrinking
forests and watersheds due to deforestation, illegal logging, mining,
urbanization, and construction of large dams, etc.; and

A waste and pollution watch group urged the country’s
health authorities to promulgate a long-overdue policy that should have
protected babies from Bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used in hard plastic,
which is linked to endocrine and reproductive disorders.

Through a letter delivered last week to the offices of
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III and Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) Director General Nela Charade Puno, the EcoWaste Coalition
stated that “BPA, an endocrine disrupting and reprotoxic chemical, should not
be present in children’s products, especially in food contact materials such as
feeding bottles and sippy cups.”

The group noted that a draft DOH Administrative Order
entitled the “Prohibition on the Manufacture, Importation, Advertisement and
Sale of Polycarbonate Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups Containing Bisphenol A in the
Philippines” has been pending since 2013.

“The over-extended delay in promulgating the government’s
policy on BPA in feeding bottles and sippy cups is very difficult to justify,
especially when the products in question are typically used by a large sector
of the society --- the children --- who are most vulnerable to the adverse
health impacts of chemical exposures.Wecannot delay action when it comes to
children's safety from chemicals of concern,” wrote Eileen Sison, President,
EcoWaste Coalition.

According to the World Health Organization, “children are
not little adults, they have special vulnerabilities to the toxic effects of
chemicals.(Their) exposure to chemicals
at critical stages in their physical and cognitive development may have severe
long-term consequences for health.”

“DOH Secretaries Enrique Ona, Janette Loreto-Garin and
Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial have come and gone, but the directive banning BPA in
feeding bottles and sippy cups remains on the back burner since 2013,” wrote
Sison.

“Under your watch, we hope the much-awaited regulation
will see the light of day in the weeks to come,” Sison told Duque.

At the first DOH-organized stakeholders’ consultation
held in 2013, the EcoWaste Coalition and Arugaan (a breastfeeding advocacy
group) pushed for a precautionary ban on BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups
citing the regulatory moves in other countries to address growing consumers’
health and safety concerns against BPA

During the deliberations, the groups pushed for consumer
right to information via uniform, visible and truthful product labels that will
indicate if a product is BPA-free or not.They also expressed support for the inclusion of a provision that will
disallow the substitution of BPA with alternatives that can also lead to
adverse health effects.

The EcoWaste Coalition has been constantly pursuing the
matter with the DOH and lately with the FDA via follow-up letters, including
two petitions signed by over 70 concerned civil society organizations.

The plan of the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug
Safety to ban BPA in food contact materials intended for infants and young
children prompted the EcoWaste Coalition to write anew to the DOH and FDA on
February 11, 2019 to check on the government’s response to the group’s appeal
to prohibit BPA in baby feeding bottles and sippy cups.

To date, over 35 countries have already banned BPA, particularly
in baby feeding bottles, including Brazil, Canada, China, India, Malaysia,
Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, USA and the 28-country European Union, with
France banning BPA in all food contact materials in 2015.China, the country’s largest trading partner,
banned BPA in baby feeding bottles as early as June 2011.

In January 2017, the European Chemical Agency added BPA
to the candidate list of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) for
authorization because it is “toxic for reproduction.”BPA’s inclusion to the said list was updated
in January 2018 due to its “endocrine disrupting properties.”

17 March 2019

Four of five “made in Pakistan” skin whitening cosmetics banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for containing dangerous levels of mercury are openly sold over the counter at shopping mall stores in Pasay City.

“We are dismayed by the nonstop and remorseless trade of unregistered skin lightening products from Pakistan containing extremely high levels of mercury way above the permissible limit of 1 part per million (ppm),” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Mercury, a highly toxic substance, is not permitted for use as an ingredient in cosmetic products such as skin whitening creams, lotions and soaps as per the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive. To protect human health and the environment, governments through the Minamata Convention on Mercury have targeted a global phase-out of skin whitening cosmetics with mercury above 1 ppm by 2020,” he said.

Among the items bought by the group and subsequently screened for mercury using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analytical device were Parley Herbal Whitening Cream with 32,200 parts per million (ppm) of mercury; Goree Beauty Cream with 21,700 ppm; Goree Day & Night Whitening Cream with 17,800 ppm, and Golden Pearl Beauty Cream with 10,000 ppm of mercury.

The FDA issued an advisory last March 5, 2019 banning two variants of Parley for containing mercury beyond the 1 ppm limit. Similar advisories were also issued against two types of Goree on October 30, 2017. Golden Pearl was among the mercury-tainted products banned by the FDA through an advisory released on September 8, 2014.

According to the latest FDA advisory: “Adverse health effects brought about by highly toxic mercury in cosmetic products include kidney damage, skin rashes, skin discoloration and scarring. Chronic use reduces the skin’s normal resistance to against bacterial and fungal infections. Other effects include anxiety, depression or psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.”

“The transfer of mercury to fetuses of pregnant women may manifest as neurodevelopment deficits later in life,” the FDA warned.

To put a stop to the illicit trade of mercury-contaminated skin lightening products from Pakistan and elsewhere, the EcoWaste Coalition called upon the FDA to conduct sustained law enforcement efforts, including on-the-spot confiscation of banned products and preventive closure of erring business establishments.

As mercury-containing products should not be simply landfilled or incinerated, the group also urged the FDA to coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure the environmentally-sound management of confiscated goods.

The EcoWaste Coalition likewise pressed the FDA to keep an eye on cosmetics from Pakistan that are being sold in the Philippines without proper notification or registration.

Aside from Parley, which the FDA banned recently, the group on March 26, 2018 notified the FDA about the sale of other Pakistan-made skin whitening creams laden with mercury such as Aneeza Gold Beauty Cream, Aneeza Saffron Whitening Cream, and Face Lift Whitening Beauty Cream.

Pakistan, like the Philippines, is grappling with the issue of mercury-contaminated skin care products in the market, the EcoWaste Coalition said.

The group cited the report "Mercury Poisoning Associated with International and Local Skin Whitening Creams in Pakistan" published in November 2018, which shows that 56 of the 59 samples analyzed for total mercury content had mercury above the allowable limit of 1 ppm, of which 28 percent had mercury greater than 10,000 ppm.

The study results prompted State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul to announce at a workshop held in Islamabad on February 14, 2019 that “the ministry will take up this matter and issue notices to the companies for producing such harmful beauty creams and items explicitly posing serious health complications and even cancer.”

The anticipated action by the Pakistani government against mercury-laden skin whitening cosmetics, the EcoWaste Coalition said, should help in curbing the proliferation of such products in the Philippines.

15 March 2019

As millions of Manila Water customers continue to suffer
from water scarcity, a waste and pollution watch group appealed to water
resource regulators as well as to water companies to ensure public access to
sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water
supply.

In a press statement coinciding with today’s observance
of World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized the role
of public authorities and private corporations as duty bearers in guaranteeing
people’s access to water

“As duty bearers, we urge water agencies and companies to
do everything that is necessary to alleviate the sufferings of those affected
by the water shortage.We join our
citizens, as right holders, in reminding those responsible for realizing our
human right to water to find a long-lasting solution to our water woes,” said
Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

In reference to the P18.7 billion Kaliwa Dam project in
the Sierra Madre to be funded by China, the EcoWaste Coalition reiterated that
any solution to the water scarcity being faced by water consumers in the East
Zone of Metro Manila should not disrespect the rights of other right holders,
particularly the indigenous peoples (IPs).

“We are one with the Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance
and the IP communities in seeking the genuine restoration of watersheds and
forests and in opposing all destructive development projects, especially the
construction of new mega-dams, within the Sierra Madre,” Dizon added.

Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia, Spokesperson of the
Commission on Human Rights, yesterday said that:“In finding a resolution to this problem, we
hope that ways forward would always be mindful of the rights of others, such as
those of IP communities in developing dams, and would always to the benefit of
the majority of Filipinos.”

In asserting the people’s right to water, the EcoWaste
Coalition cited Resolution 64/292 adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly in 2010 explicitly recognizing the human right to water and sanitation
and acknowledging that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the
realization of all human rights.

The group also cited the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted at the 2015 UN
Summit, which includes Goal No. 6 that seeks to “ensure availability and
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

Water, which is a basic entitlement of all people, should
be, according to the United Nations:

“Sufficient:
The water supply for each person must be sufficient and continuous for personal
and domestic uses. These uses ordinarily include drinking, personal sanitation,
washing of clothes, food preparation, personal and household hygiene.”

“Safe: The
water required for each personal or domestic use must be safe, therefore free
from micro-organisms, chemical substances and radiological hazards that constitute
a threat to a person's health.”

“Acceptable:
Water should be of an acceptable color, odor and taste for each personal or
domestic use, and all water facilities and services must be culturally
appropriate and sensitive to gender, lifecycle and privacy requirements.”

“Physically accessible: Everyone has the right to a water
and sanitation service that is physically accessible within, or in the
immediate vicinity of the household, educational institution, workplace or
health institution.”

“Affordable: Water,
and water facilities and services, must be affordable for all.”

14 March 2019

The ongoing water service interruption affecting
customers of Manila Water in Metro Manila and adjacent places may be increasing
the demand for disposable products and packaging, and thus more garbage.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watch
group, aired this concern as water supply in Manila Water-served areas remains
difficult with the water concessionaire announcing six to 20 hours of daily
service interruption until the start of the rainy season.

Due to the continuing water shortage affecting six
million people in the East Zone of Metro Manila, some eateries have turned to
disposable plates, spoons, forks and cups, mostly plastic-based, to avoid the
use of water.Some sellers even wrapped
plates with thin film plastic bags to avoid washing them.

“The increased demand for disposable items during this
time of water scarcity will surely add to the volume of residual garbage that
generators from households to business establishments churn out every day,”
said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“With taps running dry, we fear that more people and
businesses will be encouraged to buy and use more single-use plastic
disposables during the waterless period,” she added.

As the World Consumer Rights Day is observed tomorrow,
March 15, the EcoWaste Coalition reminded Manila Water and the country’s water
authorities that access to clean water, a basic need, is a fundamental consumer
and human right.

“It’s sad that many Filipinos will mark the World
Consumer Rights Day in long queues for water rationed by Manila Water,” Lucero
said.

“The water shortage, we hope, will be resolved soon to
satisfy the people’s right to water, a basic consumer and human right, and to
discourage the wasteful use of plastic disposables,” she added.

The EcoWaste Coalition had earlier joined the chorus
calling for water conservation amidst the water shortage.

The group urged households, as well as private and public
establishments, to intensify water saving measures as the dry spell marches on.

“Let us all aim for zero water waste to reduce the
impacts of low water supply during the summer months to the people, especially
the poor, and the environment,” the group said.

To cut on water wastage, the EcoWasteCoalition has suggested the followingwater conservation tips:

12 March 2019

As the water level in La Mesa Dam plunged to its lowest
level in 12 years amid the EL Niño phenomenon, an environmental watch group
wasted no time in urging water consumers to conserve water all the more.

The EcoWaste Coalition sought the cooperation of Metro
Manila’s households, estimated at 3.10 million, to take water conservation more
seriously in the wake of the El Niño in the Pacific region.

The group also urged private and public establishments to
intensify water conservation measures in light of the decreased fresh water
supply as the dry spell marches on.

“We join our water authorities in asking households,
businesses and government institutions in Metro Manila to use water more wisely
amid the declining water level in Angat, Ipo and La Mesa Dams,” said Aileen
Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Let us all aim for zero water waste to reduce the
impacts of low water supply during the summer months to the people, especially
the poor, and the environment,” she said.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)
had earlier appealed to the public to save water as water in the La Mesa
reservoir dropped from its normal high water level of 80.15 meters to 69.47
meters, the lowest in 12 years.

To encourage all sectors to cut on water use and wastage,
the EcoWasteCoalition has released the
followingwater conservation tips:

“Current efforts have not, however, been adequate to put
an end to the continued proliferation of such dangerous products in the
market.FDA-banned products like Jiaoli and
S’Zitang from China are still being sold with impunity,” he noted.

“As we mark this special day for women, we urge national
and local government agencies to strengthen their collaboration to stop this
unlawful trade through vigorous and sustained law enforcement actions that will
protect our women and children, including the unborn, from the harmful effects
of mercury exposure,” he said.

“As prevailing laws and regulations, including fines and penalties for
non-compliance, are insufficient to stop the sale of these dangerous products, we urge aspiring Senators and District Representatives
to craft a special law on adulterated and counterfeit cosmetics like what Congress
did to curb the spread of spurious medicines,” he suggested.

“Erring importers, manufacturers, distributors and
retailers must be held accountable and brought before the bar to show zero
tolerance for such illicit act,” he emphasized.

Mercury in skin whitening products inhibits the
production of melanin pigment leading to a “fairer” skin tone.However, mercury can cause damage the
nervous, immune and renal systems, and also cause skin discoloration, rashes,
and scarring, as well as reduce dermal resistance to bacterial and fungal
infections.

Mercury can also affect the endocrine and reproductive
systems.Studies have shown that increased
mercury levels in the body have been linked with hormonal and menstrual
disorders, infertility and miscarriage.

“Babies in the womb are not spared as mercury can cross
the placenta during pregnancy and affect the developing brain and nervous system
causing cognitive development problems. Fetuses, infants and young children are
susceptible to mercury toxicity,” Dizon said.

According to the report “Mercury in Women of
Child-Bearing Age in 25 Countries published by the Biodiversity Research
Institute and IPEN, a global NGO network for a toxics-free future that includes
the EcoWaste Coalition, “the harmful effects that can be passed from the mother
to the fetus when the mother’s mercury levels exceed 1 ppm include neurological
impairment, IQ loss, and damage to the kidneys and cardiovascular system.

Mercury in skin whitening products can also contaminate
the environment, including the food chain, the EcoWaste Coalition warned.

Information from the World Health Organization indicates
that “mercury in soaps, creams and other cosmetic products is eventually
discharged into wastewater. The mercury then enters the environment, where it
becomes methylated and enters the food-chain as the highly toxic methylmercury
in fish.”

To protect consumers against mercury in some skin
whitening cosmetics, the EcoWaste Coalition urged Filipinos, especially women
and girls, to take pride in our natural skin complexion.

“There is beauty and dignity in our ‘kayumangging
kaligatan,’ so refrain from using skin bleaching, lightening or whitening
products, particularly cosmetics that have not gone through formal notification
or registration with the FDA and not guaranteed safe from mercury, hydroquinone
and other harmful substances,” the EcoWaste Coalition said.

The group also advised consumers to insist on their right
to product information, including chemical ingredients comprising a product,
and to reject products with zero or incomplete label or with non-English
labeling information unless English translation is provided.

05 March 2019

As the yearly Fire Prevention Month is observed this
March, the EcoWaste Coalition enjoined the public not to burn household
garbage, as well as garden or farm waste, during the dry and hot weather.

The zero waste advocacy group said that burning discards
in the open can cause fire and pollution that can endanger people’s health and
lives.

“Open burning, especially during the dry and hot season,
can cause destructive fires in our communities, while permanently destroying
resources that can be reused, recycled or composted and generating toxic smoke
and ash,” said Ochie Tolentino, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

“Open burning can cause particulate matter pollution, as
well as dioxin pollution, that can trigger illness, especially among young
children, the elderly and people with chemical sensitivities.Pollutants from open burning can also affect
unborn fetuses,” she said.

“Because of its bad effects on health and the
environment, national environmental laws and related local ordinances have
rightly prohibited the open burning of garbage,” she said.

Tolentino cited Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act, and Republic Act 8749, or the Clean Air Act, as two
major environmental laws banning and penalizing open burning.

Section 48 of RA 9003, in particular, lists “the open
burning of solid waste” as one of the prohibited acts punishable with a fine of
P300 to P1,000 or imprisonment for one to 15 days, or both.

To draw attention to this public health and environmental
menace, the EcoWaste Coalition released a new poster that says “Stop Burning
Garbage,” with a clear-cut reminder that “burning garbage produces toxic
pollutants that can harm public health and the environment.”

Among these toxic contaminants resulting from open
burning activities, especially when materials containing chlorine are burned,
are byproduct dioxins and furans that are targeted for global reduction, if not
elimination, under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs).

Other open burning pollutants capable of contaminating
the air and even our food sources include heavy metals such as arsenic,
cadmium, lead, and mercury, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and nitrous
oxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds,
formaldehyde, and fine particles or particulate matter.

These pollutants are known to cause a variety of health
problems such as headaches, eye, throat and skin irritation, impaired
respiratory functions, aggravated asthma and chronic bronchitis, heart attacks
and even cancers, the EcoWaste Coalition warned.

The group encouraged all waste generators and regulators
towork for the "adoption of the
best practice in ecological waste management excluding incineration" in
keeping with the declared policies of R.A. 9003.

A collaborative project that seeks to promote the environmentally-sound management of discarded electrical or electronic devices, or what is commonly referred to as e-waste, has gotten off to a good start.

At an event that drew participants from various stakeholders, especially from e-waste collectors, dismantlers and recyclers, project collaborators gathered in Barangay 176 in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City to put up a signage for the planned E-Waste Category F.1 Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) Facility in the pilot area.

“We are here together to mark a new chapter in our effort to promote the environmentally-sound management of e-waste so that their hazardous components do not end up contaminating the environment, specifically our water bodies, which serve as our main source of food and other resource needs,” announced Atty. Jonas Leones, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The soon-to-be erected facility to be manned by trained personnel coming from the ranks of local informal recyclers will be used to store collected e-waste, particularly old and busted TVs, prior to being transferred for proper dismantling and recycling at the Laguna-based Integrated Recycling Industries (IRI), a company specializing in the reclamation and recycling of useful materials from e-waste.

Speaking on behalf of the host community of 300,000 residents, Barangay 176 Chairman Joel Bacolod said: “Barangay Bagong Silang, being the largest barangay in the country, is pleased to set an example as ‘cause champion’ in environmental management and advocacy, especially in the way we handle unwanted electrical and electronic goods.”

Dr. Carmela Centeno, Industrial Development Officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna, Austria, lauded the initiative as “a concrete demonstration of the stakeholders’ commitment to address the e-waste challenge in a way that will protect waste workers from health-damaging exposure to hazardous substances in e-waste such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) from cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and abate environmental impacts of e-waste recycling.”

Informal waste recycler leaders Benedicto Nario, Domingo Sales and Claire Astoveza welcomed the safe e-waste management project in their community as they reiterated their common aspiration to have a decent and safe recycling-based livelihood for all.

“The integration of the informal e-waste collectors, dismantlers and recyclers into a formal system for managing such hazardous waste materials, we hope, will lessen occupational safety and health problems related to informal e-waste recycling and protect the environment, too,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

The establishment of the said e-waste facility is made possible by the Safe PCB and E-Waste Management Project funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented in the country by UNIDO through the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau.

The unveiling of facility signage coincided with the commemoration of two important happenings: the International Waste Pickers’ Day on March 1, and the 15th anniversary of the Philippine ratification of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) on February 27.

About Me

is a public interest network of community, church, school, environmental and health groups pursuing sustainable solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues facing the Philippines and the world.